وَقالَ نِسوَةٌ فِي المَدينَةِ امرَأَتُ العَزيزِ تُراوِدُ فَتاها عَن نَفسِهِ ۖ قَد شَغَفَها حُبًّا ۖ إِنّا لَنَراها في ضَلالٍ مُبينٍ

Some of the women in the city said: ‘The governor’s wife solicits her slave boy! He has captivated her love. Indeed, we see her to be in manifest error.’

EXEGESIS

Niswah (women): the Arabic terms niswah and nisāʾ both mean ‘women’, but with nuanced differences: nisāʾ is the general, neutral term used broadly (including in the Quran’s Sūrat al-Nisāʾ), while niswah often refers specifically to a group of women in a social or formal setting (such as the women of the palace). Nisāʾ works in all grammatical contexts, whereas niswah typically stands alone, carrying a more refined or collective connotation. While nisāʾ is the Quran’s default term (neutral/legal), niswah appears in classical contexts to evoke social cohesion or status. This, in this verse niswah emphasises a specific group of women engaged in rumour-mongering about the governor’s wife. It implies a collective (not all women, but those privy to the scandal) and a shared social space (in the city). The verse masterfully uses niswah to spotlight gossip as a social phenomenon (not just individuals).

ʿAzīz (governor) originally means the one who overcomes and is not overcome.[1] In addition to power and strength, the term also denotes ‘rarity’ or ‘honour’. In English, the word could be translated as ‘the mighty’ or ‘the noble’. Here the title reflects the governor’s political authority as a minister under the king. The same term is also used to describe Prophet Joseph (a) in verse 78 after he is put in charge of Egypt’s grain stores.

In the Bible, the ʿazīz is described as: ‘Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard.’[2] This Biblical report should not be taken as certainty though, and it is unclear what his actual role was. He may have been in charge of the country’s grain stores, the role which was later given to Prophet Joseph (a), as many have suggested,[3] but there is no indication of that being the case either. He may very well have been a minister in charge of some other duties, or some other sort of governor or administrator. The translation governor has been chosen here, but should be understood in its general meaning as ‘someone who governs’, and there is no real need to further speculate about his specific role in the government.

Fatā (boy) originally means a young man or boy. However, since most servants were young boys, the word fatā is often used to intend a servant[4] (cf. 18:60).

Shaghafa (has captivated) is a verb from shighāf – the thin membrane enveloping the heart.[5] When love permeates the shighāf, it signifies a profound takeover.[6] In other words, the heart becomes so enveloped in passion that it forms an impenetrable veil, blinding the lover to all but the beloved.[7] This mirrors English expressions like ‘he has conquered her heart’, yet with richer physiological imagery – painting love not just as emotion, but as a visceral occupation of the heart’s very fabric.

EXPOSITION

Contrary to what the governor had hoped, the news of his wife’s indiscretions began to spread in the city. Some of the noblewomen of that city,[8] whose opinion obviously mattered to the governor’s wife and who were presumably not her friends but merely in her aristocratic social circle. They were presumably not her close friends because they had never before seen Prophet Joseph (a). Her friends who would visit her had probably seen him around the house tending to his duties.

The expression in the city is meant to convey how the rumours had spread in the city’s aristocratic circles.[9]  

The governor’s wife solicits her slave boy: the ridicule was no doubt partially motivated by the fact that she, a woman, was engaged in such romantic pursuit, as it is generally considered ignoble for a woman to pursue a man. Added to that, as the other women were all from the aristocratic class themselves, they thought it incredulous and pathetic that one of their peers should not only chase after a man, but actually her own slave boy (and not even an Egyptian slave, but one from a foreign land), something that should be well beneath someone such as her.

The present tense solicits (turāwidu) indicates that the scandal was an ongoing one and that it was known to them that she had not given up in her efforts,[10] despite being caught the first time.

He has captivated her love: there is a hint of desperate curiosity here as well. The other women were wondering: who was this slave boy who has managed to so madden the governor’s wife to the extent the he has blinded her of her position and noble status?

Indeed, we see her to be in manifest error: she is acting contrary to what is acceptable.[11] In other words, she is making a fool of herself by going after a lowly servant boy.

Finally, note how the women detracted the governor’s wife because of what they perceived as her excessive love for Prophet Joseph (a), saying, Indeed, we see her to be in manifest error. This same statement was used by Prophet Joseph’s (a) brothers about their father when they thought his love for Prophet Joseph (a) was excessive, Our father is indeed in manifest error (verse 8).[12] The surah hereby draws a striking parallel between the two accusations of manifest error. Prophet Jacob’s (a) sons judged him with certitude (is indeed), whilst the women judged according to what appeared to them (we see her), but despite that satisfied themselves that they were certain about it (manifest error). Prophet Jacob’s (a) sons did so because they were his sons and thought they knew him, whilst the women apparently did not know the governor’s wife very well.[13] Ironically, those with intimate knowledge (the brothers) were wrong, while strangers relying on appearances (the women) happened to be right. This contrast reveals the fragility of human judgement – even our most confident convictions may prove false, demonstrating how limited our perception truly is. This goes to show how people’s knowledge is limited and uncertain, even though they may speak with certitude. People do not even properly know what they know or do not know. 

[1] Alusi, 6/416.
[2] Genesis 39:1.
[3] Alusi, 6/416.
[4] Muhit, 6/266.
[5] Thalabi, 5/216; Razi, 18/447; Lisan, 9/179, sh-gh-f.
[6] Tibyan, 6/129; Tabari, 12/117-118; Raghib, p. 457, sh-gh-f.
[7] Razi, 18/447-448.
[8] Ibn Kathir, 4/329; Mizan, 11/144; Nemuneh, 9/392.
[9] Alusi, 6/416.
[10] See Muhit, 6/266; Mizan, 11/148; Tantawi, 7/351.
[11] Tibyan, 6/129.
[12] See Qaraati, 4/192.
[13] They see him for the first time in the events of the next verse.